Downtown

I love the sights, the sounds, and the smells of the city. I don’t know why, but I have always been fascinated with the big city. Now granted, the city I'm in this morning is not really “the big city.” In reality, San Francisco is very small as far as land mass goes. However, it still has the same appeal to me.

Walking up from the subway this morning on Market street, I was immediately hit with the hustle and bustle of the Embarcadero area. This is the business district of San Francisco and there are plenty of people walking around during business hours. The crowds are all scurrying along the sidewalk, waiting for the lights to change, all trying to get to work, but not without stopping at one of the 8 coffee shops in the three blocks between my stop and my office. Me too. Need a drink and a bagel. City life. No one makes breakfast at home. Why would you when it’s made for you on every corner.

I continue on my way, breakfast in hand and a muni bus drives by. The smell of the busses in downtown is somehow different than in the suburbs. Maybe it is the tall buildings that trap the fumes on the street level. Two cabbies are yelling at each other. I don't know why. I man pulls up to the curb next to me in a Cobra. Why would you drive that into the city? He parks illegally. A woman passes me and her perfume leaves a trail behind her. A wondrous odor. All the business ladies are walking around in knee high skirts. The Embarcadero is filled with beautiful women at this time of day. All fresh from their homes, all heading to the office, all looking professional, all have jobs. What could be better. It's a beautiful morning.

Yes, the downtown area has a certain appeal to me. It could be the excitement, the buildings, the people, or it could just be the start of a new day, a new opportunity, and a new chance.